Refrigerator and cooling unit therefor



June13, 1933. J. 5. BOOTH 1,913,931

REFRIGERATOR AND COOLING UNIT THEREFOR Filled Nov. 16. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wyn roe.- (/OHA/ 6. 500 77% A'rra ,exvi K June 13,1933. J. s. BOOTH v 1,913,931 1 REFRIGERATOR AND COOLING UNIT THEREFOR Filed Nov. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 13, 1933 um'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE 161m s. worn, or DALLAS, 'rnipas, assxenoa 'ro ZERO rams coarona'riou, a

1 ogarona'non or nanawaaa nnralcaaa'ron AND cocaine um'r summon Application flled November 16, 1931. Serial no. 575,447.

My invention relates to refrigerators and cooling units therefor and more partlcularly to such devices of the so-called mechanical type wherein the desired low temperatures 5 for preservation of foodstuffs or other perishable commodities are obtained through mediums other than ice. a

Heretofore, the mechanical refrigerators and cooling units which have been used, of 10 course, obviated the necessity of periodical attention and icing, but they were not otherwise as satisfactory as the old type ice box.. In the first place, most mechanical refrigerators were sealed chambers with no outward flow of gases or other liquids given ofli' by perishable articles contained therein;

and, in the second place, articles in the refrigerator were dehydrated when moisture in the air was condensed as frost on the cooling coils of the mechanical unit. A

It is a well known fact that refrigerators utilizing ice :or.-a mixture of ice and 'salt as a refrigerant did not have these deficiencies of structure. Obviously, as ice refrigera- 2 tors depend upon the melting of the icefor cooling, it was necessary to have a drain from the refrigerant compartment .or containem through which passed the water incidental" to such melting. Thisdrain after a period 30 of time would become filled witha thick mass orjelly which was usually thought to be vapors or gases given off by the foodstuffs in the storage compartment of the refrigerator and condensed by contact with ice. Much of this condensation was carried ofi through the drain with the flow of water.

Also, the use of ice impregnated the air in *the refrigerator with suflicientimoisture toprevent dehydration of articles stored there-* 1n. Furthermore, mechanical units used in the pastdepended upon convection currents to cool the interior of the refrigerator and in devices providing for an, intermittent supply of cooling agent to the cooling coils these currents were strongest'during the period.

- when thecooling agent was being actively supplied and were weakest 'in the 'carry over period when the cooling agent was inactive. Consequently, during the carry,

over period the cooling coils had very little refrigerating effect and, therefore in such mechanical units the mechanism for actively supplying the cooling agent was operating about ,fifty percent of the time.

The objects of my'invention are topic-- vide a device which will have all the advantages of a mechanical unit but also will have the advantages attendant the use of. ice as a refrigerant; and to provide a mechanical unit in whichthe carry over period will be greatly lengthened withfia resultant saving 1n the cost of operation.

Although I do not propose to limit the use of my invention to any particular form of refrigerator, in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar characters are used'to designate similar parts, I have shown my invention embodied. in a show case refrigerator such as commonly used in markets-or florist shops and I have also shown my invention embodied in a cooler in which meat or other perishable commodities are stored. It is to e understood, however, that with e ual facility my invention may be embo ied in household refrigerators or in refrigerators of any other type.

'In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective, partly in section, of a show case refrigerator and coolin 'unit made according to my invention; .Flg. 2 is a similar view of a cooler; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the cooling unit shown inthe. embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. '1 is a side view of the unit part1 in section; and Fig. 5 is a section along t e lines 4-4 in Fig.4; 7

eferring to the figures'and particularly to, the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 the show case refrigerator comprises in the usual form a cabinet 1 having a front transparent panel 2 and top transparent panels 3 through' which are visible foodstuffs or other perishable articles arranged on the shelf 4 and along 'the,bottom' wall of the storage compartment, which wall, in this embodiment, is also the top' wall of the refriger ating compartment, as will be more fully hereinafter explained. Access to the storage compartment is had through doors 5 fitted in suitable openingsin the rear of the show case.- 10

The cooling unit in refrigerators of this type may be arranged along the bottom thereof as shown in Fig. 1, and is preferably substantially coextensive therewith, for reasons to be later explained. As shown herein the cooling unit comprises a casing. 6 which has the top and side walls thereof formed by hoodlike sections so that it may be readily assembled or disassembled and has a bottom wall 7 extending along the bottom of the refrigerator and provided with up-turned flanges 7 which engage the lower ends of the side walls of the sections. The casing 6 has at one end thereof a flue 8 provided with an inlet opening and has at the other end thereof a flue 9 provided with "an outlet opening. It prefer that the upper portions of the fines 8 and 9 be above the plane of the elongated portion of the casing 6 and the inlet and outlet openings may be screened, as shown in the figures. I prefer that the casing 6 with its included flues 8 and 9 and bottom wall 7 be formed of metal or any other conductive matcrial. I also prefer that the top wall of the longitudinally extending portion of the casing be arrangedas shown so that, as stated above, it will form a bottom wall for the storage con'ipartn'lent of the refrigerator and will, therefore, separate the refrigerating compartment from the storage compartment.

hlou-ntcd in the inlet flue 8 so as to create a draft or suction from the storage compartment through the' inlet opening is a fan 10, preferably electrically driven.

rtrranged in the refrigerating compartment formed by the casing 6 and preferably coextensive therewith is a cooling coil 11 which is positioned in this embodiment with the convolutions extending substantially transversely of the compartment as shown in Fig. 3. To facilitate removal for cleaning or repair the coil 11 may be formed in sections with adjacent ends of adjacent sections connected by means of a'coupling 12. A plurality of longitudinally extending fins 13 to regulate the flow of air through the refrigerating compartment, as described below, are mounted within the convolutions of the. coil, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. The longitudinally extending rails 14 are fixed to the upper and lower faces of the coils to form a conductive connection between the coil and the top wall of the casing 6 and the bottom wall 7 and to support said top wall. A drain pipe 15 leads from a suitable sump to an outside place of discharge whereby water collected on the bottom wall 7 may flow from the case.

A cooling agent is supplied by any suitable mechanism, not shown, to the coil 11 through a supply pipe 16 and, after flowing through the coil, the agent enters the return pipe 17 I prefer that the-supply pipe 16 be positioned near the inlet end of. the refrigerating compartment and that the return pipe reraesr 17 be positioned near the opposite or outlet end so that the general direction of the flow of cooling agent through the coil will be the same as that of the circulation of air created by the fan 10 through the refrigerating compartment, all for the reasons explained below.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 2 the cooler 18 may be entered through the door 19. In this installation I prefer that the cooling unit be mounted on the upper wall or ceiling so that the casing 6 thereof by a fan 10. Because of the'great amount of space to be cooled the coils 11 are arranged in upper and lower tiers with the cooling agent entering through a. supply pipe 16, and flowing in one direction through the upper tier of the coil, in a reverse direction through the lower tier and out through the return pipe 17. Fins 13 are provided in each tier of the coil andrails 14 are provided to maintain the tiers in fixed position. A drain pipe 15* is arranged to carry water from the unit, all as shown in the figure referred to. y

The operation of the first described embodiment of my invention is as follows: The fan 10 is operated to continuously circulate air from the storage compartment of the refrigerator into and through the inlet flue 8, throughthe refrigerating compartment in the casing 6 and back into the storage compartment through the outlet flue 9. As described above a cooling agent is intermittently supplied to the coil 11 and when a cycle of operation of the cooling unit is begun the cooling agent is so supplied to cool the coil. When the comparatively warm air enters the refrigerating compartment through the inlet flue 8 some of themoisture contained in the air will be condensed toform frost onthe coil 11 and as the air circulates through the refrigerating compartment it will be cooled before it is discharged back into the storage compartment through the outlet flue 9. After the storage compartment has been sufficiently cooled operation of the mechanism supplying the cooling agent to the coil 11 is stopped by any suitable expedient. As the circulation of air continues the comparatively warm air passing through the refrigerating compartment will melt the frost on the coil 11, and when; this melting occurs the air will pick up some of the condensed moisture and will be cooled by the melting of the frost as well as by contact with the coils and with the top and bottom walls of the casing 6 which have a conductive connection through the rails 14 with the coils and will therefore be cooled during the period in which a cooling agent is being actively supplied. As the melting continues an gases or va ors contained in the air circu a-ting throug the refrigerating com art-..

ment will be condensed and will flow wit the water resulting from the melting of the frost hrough the drain pipe 15. When the cooling effect of the parts of the cooling unit and the melting of the frost is no longer sufli- I cient to maintain the desired low tempera- 75 ture in the'refri erator the supply mechanism will again e operated to su ply the cooling agent to the coil 11 and t e cycle will be repeated.

If the cooling coil 11 is arranged as shown in the figures with the cooling a cut enter ing it at the inlet end of the re rigerating compartment and flowin through the coil generally towards the out et end of the compartment, the part of the coil nearest the inlet will be coldest, as described above, and operation of the unit thereby will be enhanced. The warm air will strike the cold est part of the coil first and the condenpation of moisture therefore will be centralized to a great extent on the coil nearest the inlet. Then when the coil is not being cooled by an active agent the warm air will be concentrated on the same part of the coil and the frost will be melted most effectively.

culation through the storage compartment and if the a r is circulated too rapidly through the latter compartment dehydration of the foodstuffs contained therein may result. Obviously, if the number of fins is increased a greater back pressure in the refrig- 11o crating compartment will be created and the speed of circulation the-rethrough will be r d'minishcd. inversely, ifthe number of this is decreased the back pre-ssure will be lessened and the speed will be'increased.

Under proper conditions-the air in the refrigerator will be kept moist and cold and very little dehydration will occur. Interchange of odors between various foodstuffs will be minimized because as the vapors 1.:0 given off by them are condensed and carried off through the drain pipe 15 the air in the refrigerator will be kept fresh and clean. Furthermore, the carry over of the unit will be much longer than the periodof active 1 operation because every cooling effect of the unit in addition to cooling by the melting of the frost will be'utilized. Particularly during the period whenthe coil is operating the cooling of the storage compartment will be llw'aided by conduction to the upper wallof the A proper speed of the air through the re-- used, means for continuously circulating air casing 6, which wall is exposed to the storage compartment and has a conductive connection with the cooling coil through the rails 14. 1

The cycle of operation of the embodiment shown in F ig92-is substantially the same as that above described with the exception that the circulation will be upward through the inlet and downward through the outlet, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.' In a-unit of this latter type flow through the refrigerating compartment and, in turn, through the storage compartment may be more rapid than the flow desirablein the other form of device. Because of its size a rapid flow in a large cooler will' not have a dehydration effect as such a flow would have within'a smaller area.

While in the drawings attached hereto and in the above description Ihave disclosed embodiments of my invention in which the unit is placed at the top and bottomof a refrigerator I do not intend to limit myself to any particular position of the unit in, a refrigerator. Obviously, under different conditions the unit maybe placed in any desired position and the size, shape and arrangement of the various parts may be variedwithin wide limits without deviating from the spirit of my invention as included in appended claims.

What I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigerating compartment, a cooling coil included in said compartment, said refrigerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet, to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in whichsaid unit is used, means for circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet back into said storage compartment, and a plurality of fins surrounded by said coil for regulating the circulation of air tberethrough.

2. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigerating compartment, a cooling coil included in'said comartment and having its convolutions extendmg substantially transversely thereof, said refrigerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is c through said inlet into and through said refrigerating chamber and through said outlet back into said storage compartment, and a plurality of longitudinally "extending fins I mounted within the convolutions of said coil for regulating said circulation of air.

3. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigerating compartment,acoolin coil included in sai compartment, means or intermittently supply ing a cooling agent to said coil, said coil being 330 arranged whereby said cooling a ent flows therethrough from one end of sai compart ment generally towards the other end thereof, and mechanical means for continuously circulating air from the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used.

through said refrigerating compartment in the direction of said flow. I

4. cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigerating compartment, said refrigerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, a cooling coil included in "said refrigerating compartment and extending between said inlet and said outlet, means for intermittently supplying a cooling agent to said coil and said coil being arran ed whereby said cooling agent flows theret rough from theend thereof nearest said inlet generally towards the end thereof nearest said outlet, and mechanical means for continuously circulating air from said storage compartment through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet compartment.

5.- A cooling unit for refrigerators comback into said, storage prising a casing of conductive material fornr in a refrigerating compartment, a cooling 0011 included in said compartment, a con 'ductive connection between said coil and a' wall of said casing, and mechanica means for circulating through said refrigerating compartment air from thestorage compartment of the refrigerator in which saidunit is used. g

'6. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigeratingcompartment, said casing having a wall thereof separating said refrigerating compartment from the storage compartment ofthe refrigerator in which said unit is used andxsaid Wall being of conductive material, a cooling coil included in said refrigerating compartment, a conductive connection between said coil and said wall, and mechanical means for continuously circulating through said refrigerating compartment air from 'saidfi-storage compartment.

7. A cooling unit forrefrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigerating compartment, said casing having a wallthereof separating said refrigerating compartment from the storage compartment of the refrigerator' in which said unit is used and said wall being of conductive material, a cooling coil included in said refrigerating compartment, a conductive connection'between said coil and said wall,,means for intermittently supply- 'inga cooling agent to said coil, and mechanical means for continuously circulating through 'said refrigerating compartment air from said storage compartment. I

8. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing of conductive material forming a refrigerating compartment, said casing having a wall thereof separating said refrigerating compartment from the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, a cooling coil included in said refrigerating compartment, a conductive connection between said coil and said wall separating said compartments, means for intermittently supplying a cooling agent to said coil, and mechanical means for continuously circulating through said refrigerating compartment air from said storage compartment.

9. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing of conductive material form- 'ing a refrigerating compartment, said refrigcrating compartment having an inlet from 1 and an outlet to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, said casing having a wall thereof separating said refrigerating compartment from said storage compartment, a cooling coil included in said refrigerating compartment and extending between said inlet and said outlet, a conductive connection between said coil and said wall separating said compartments,

means for intermittently supplying a cool:

ment, a plurality of'longitudinaly extending fins mounted in said refrigerating compartment for regulating saidcirculation of air, and a drain pipe leading from said unit to an outside place of; discharge.

' 10. A refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment and a confined zone sepa-- rate from the food storage compartment formlng a refrigerating compartment, a coolmg coil included in said compartment, means for intermittently supplying a cooling agent it to saidcoil, said coil being arranged Wheresaid cooling agent flows therethrough from one end of said compartment generally towards the other end thereof, and mechanical means for continuously circulating air from the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used through said refrigerating compartment in the direction of said flow.

11. A refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment and a -confined zone sepa rate from the food storage compartment formmg a refrigeratingcompartment, said refrlgerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, a cooling coil included in said refrigerating compartment and extending between mittently supplying a cooling agent to said coil and-said coil being arranged whereby said cooling agent flows therethrough from the end thereof nearest said inlet generally towards the end thereof nearest said outlet, and mechanical means for continuously circulating air'from said storage compartment through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said I for circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment, said cooling coil having a plurality ofconvolutions extending transversely of said refrigerating compartment and a plurality of longitudinally extending fins positioned within the convolutionsof said coil for regulating the circulation of air therethrough.

13. A cooling unit for refrigerators com prising a casing forming a refri crating compartment,.a cooling 0011 include in said compartment, said refrigeratingcompartment having an inlet from and an outlet to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, mechanical means for circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating compart- .ment, and a plurality of fins extending longitudinally of said refrigerating compartment from, one end of said coilto the other for regulating the circulation of air thereage compartment and a refrigeratin through. 14. A refrigerator comprising a food storcompartment extending longitudinally a ong a horizontal wall of said refrigerator, a. cooling coil included in said refrigerating comartment, means for intermittently sup lymg a cooling agent to saidcoil, said re rigerating compartment having an inlet from said storage compartment at one end thereof and an outlet to said storage compartment at the other end thereof, mechanical means for continuously circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating com artment and through saidoutlet into sai storage compartment whereby air will be taken from said storage compartment at one end thereof and will be. discharged into said storage compartment at the other end thereof after it has been cooled in said refrigerating compartment.

15. A refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment and arefrigerating compartment extending longitudinally along a horizontal wall of said refrigerator, a cooling coil included in said refrigerating comsaid inlet and, said outlet, means for inter-- partment, means for intermittently sugplymg a cooling agent to said coil, said re rigcrating compartment having an inlet-from said storage compartment at one end there- ,of and an outlet to said storage compartment at the other end thereof, mechanical means for continuously circulating air through said inlet int'oand through s'aidvrefrigerating compartment and through said outlet into said storage compartment whereby air -will be taken from said storage compartmert at one end thereof and will be discharged into said storage compartment at the other end thereof after it has been cooled in. said refrigerating compartment, and a plurality of longitudinally extending fins arranged in-said refrigerating compartment for regulating the circulation of air there'- through. v

16. A refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment and a refrigerating compartment extending longitudinally along a horizontal wall of said refrigerator, a cool-' ing coil included in said refrigerating compartment, means for intermittently supply.- ing a cooling agent to said coil, said refrigerating compartment having'an inlet from said storage compartment at one end thereof and an outlet to said storage compartment at the other end thereof, mechanical means for .continuously circulating air through said inlet into and through said refrigerating com partment-and through said outlet into said,

storage compartment whereby air will be taken from said "storage compartment at one end thereof and will be discharged into said storage compartment at the other end thereof after it has been \cooled in said refrigerat ing compartment, a pluralit of longitudina 1 y extending fins arrange in said refrig erator compartment for-regulating the circulation of air therethrough, and said coil being arran ed whereby said cooling agent flows theret rough generally in the direction of the circulation of air through said refrigerating compartment.

17. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprisin a casing consisting of a plurality of separa le hood portions of conductive material adapted and arranged to form a refrigerating compartment, a cooling coil included in said compartment, said compart ment having an inlet from and an outlet to the storage compartment of said refrigerator in which said unit is used, and mechanical means for circulating air through said inlet into and'through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet back into said storage compartment.

18. A cooling unit for refrigerators com-- saidcoil consisting of a plurality of independently removable sections each of which coincides in size and shape with one of said separable hood portions, said refrigerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet to the storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, and me chanical means for circulating air through said inlet into and through said reirigerating compartment and through said outlet back into said storagecompartment.

19. A cooling unit for refrigerators comprising a casing forming a refrigerating compartment, a cooling 0011 included in sald compartment, said refrigerating compartment having an inlet from and an outlet to the 1 storage compartment of the refrigerator in which said unit is used, mechanical means for circulating air through said\inlet into and through said refrigerating compartment and through said outlet back into said storage compartment, and a pluralityof fins arranged in said refrigerating compartment and positioned to divide said compartment into aplurality of longitudinally extending air channels whereby the circulation of air through said refrigerating compartment will be regulated. v

20. A refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a cooling coil included in said refrigeratin'g compartment, means for inter mittently supplying a cooling-agent to said coil, said refrigerating compartment having" an inlet from and an outlet to said storage compartment, mechanical means for circulating air throughsaid inlet into and throughsaid refrigerating compartment and through said outlet hack into said storage compartment, and a plurality of fins arranged in said refrigerating compartment and positioned to divide said compartment into a plurality of longitudinally extending air channels whereby the circulation 0t air through said refrigerating compartment will be regulated.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to the foregoing specification.,-

JUHN s. noo'rri.

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